Allahabad, Nov 23 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court on Monday asked the Centre's counsel to arrange a video-conferencing session with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as it wants to know the status of the COVID-19 vaccine and preparations for its administration whenever possible.

The court further directed SSP Prayagraj Sarvshresth Tripathi to apprise it with the progress in deployment of police to enforce the mandatory use of face masks in public places in the city.

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The bench comprising Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Ajit Kumar passed the order on a public interest litigation (PIL) on the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

Tripathi, who was present in the court during the hearing, said he would personally look into the matter of deployment of police personnel in the city and shall also see that sustained efforts are made to ensure that people wear face masks as a rule.

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On October 11, the court had directed all shops apart from eateries to ensure that customers entering their premises must wear a mask.

The court had directed the police to take appropriate action against those flouting COVID-19 norms including wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)